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Topic: Preparing the yeast (Read 1986 times)

I'm going to be brewing an extract kit from NorthernBrewerer.com called Rebel Rye Porter. I just looked at the instructions and is says:

PROCEDUREA FEW DAYS BEFORE BREWING DAY1. Remove the liquid Wyeast pack from the refrigerator,and “smack” as shown on the back of the yeast package.Leave it in a warm place (70–80° F) to incubate until thepack begins to inflate. Allow at least 3 hours for inflation;some packs may take up to several days to show inflation.Do not brew with inactive yeast — we can replace theyeast, but not a batch that fails to ferment properly. Ifyou are using dry yeast, no action is needed

The yeast they are talking about is Wyeast #1028 London Ale Yeast. Does it really need "a few days"? I thought all the yeast needed was to bring it to room temp and then allow a few hours before pitching. As a new brewer I'm a little confused. Help!

I'm going to be brewing an extract kit from NorthernBrewerer.com called Rebel Rye Porter. I just looked at the instructions and is says:

PROCEDUREA FEW DAYS BEFORE BREWING DAY1. Remove the liquid Wyeast pack from the refrigerator,and “smack” as shown on the back of the yeast package.Leave it in a warm place (70–80° F) to incubate until thepack begins to inflate. Allow at least 3 hours for inflation;some packs may take up to several days to show inflation.Do not brew with inactive yeast — we can replace theyeast, but not a batch that fails to ferment properly. Ifyou are using dry yeast, no action is needed

The yeast they are talking about is Wyeast #1028 London Ale Yeast. Does it really need "a few days"? I thought all the yeast needed was to bring it to room temp and then allow a few hours before pitching. As a new brewer I'm a little confused. Help!

What is the OG of the recipe? You may need to do a starter for the yeast if it's over about 1.040.

I'm going to be brewing an extract kit from NorthernBrewerer.com called Rebel Rye Porter. I just looked at the instructions and is says:

PROCEDUREA FEW DAYS BEFORE BREWING DAY1. Remove the liquid Wyeast pack from the refrigerator,and “smack” as shown on the back of the yeast package.Leave it in a warm place (70–80° F) to incubate until thepack begins to inflate. Allow at least 3 hours for inflation;some packs may take up to several days to show inflation.Do not brew with inactive yeast — we can replace theyeast, but not a batch that fails to ferment properly. Ifyou are using dry yeast, no action is needed

The yeast they are talking about is Wyeast #1028 London Ale Yeast. Does it really need "a few days"? I thought all the yeast needed was to bring it to room temp and then allow a few hours before pitching. As a new brewer I'm a little confused. Help!

What is the OG of the recipe? You may need to do a starter for the yeast if it's over about 1.040.

As it says in your instructions, this is a wyeast smack pack. The smack pack allows you to "proof" your yeast before brewing, so that you know your yeast are viable before pitching. The pack swells and you know your yeast are viable. Sometimes during shipping the yeast will be subjected to high temps and maybe kills it, so they want you to proof it before you brew. It seems that the "few days before" recommendation is to cover their a$$. If you wait until brew day and you're mashed in and find that the yeast is dead, you're sort of screwed unless you can get more yeast, and someone would be on the hook for a wasted batch of beer. This seems to be a related to the mail-order side of it, as they seem to assume the worst case, that you have nowhere else to get yeast on brewday if yours are dead.

If I smack the wyeast at all, it's 3-6 hours before pitching. I wouldn't want to do it days ahead of time and let it sit around. Maybe that's fine, maybe not, I don't know. If you have a local shop that stocks that yeast, I'd proof it on brewday. In all liklihood it'll be fine but if not then at least you can run out and get a replacement and not waste your wort. If you have noplace nearby to get a replacement, it might be best to take their advice and proof before you mash in.

As others have said, you may need a starter anyway based on your volume and OG in which case you'll know days ahead anyway when you get your starter going.

As it says in your instructions, this is a wyeast smack pack. The smack pack allows you to "proof" your yeast before brewing, so that you know your yeast are viable before pitching. The pack swells and you know your yeast are viable. Sometimes during shipping the yeast will be subjected to high temps and maybe kills it, so they want you to proof it before you brew. It seems that the "few days before" recommendation is to cover their a$$. If you wait until brew day and you're mashed in and find that the yeast is dead, you're sort of screwed unless you can get more yeast, and someone would be on the hook for a wasted batch of beer. This seems to be a related to the mail-order side of it, as they seem to assume the worst case, that you have nowhere else to get yeast on brewday if yours are dead.

If I smack the wyeast at all, it's 3-6 hours before pitching. I wouldn't want to do it days ahead of time and let it sit around. Maybe that's fine, maybe not, I don't know. If you have a local shop that stocks that yeast, I'd proof it on brewday. In all liklihood it'll be fine but if not then at least you can run out and get a replacement and not waste your wort. If you have noplace nearby to get a replacement, it might be best to take their advice and proof before you mash in.

As others have said, you may need a starter anyway based on your volume and OG in which case you'll know days ahead anyway when you get your starter going.

Thanks for the response. So, if I do smack the yeast 3 days prior, should I let it sit at room temp until time to pitch it?

As it says in your instructions, this is a wyeast smack pack. The smack pack allows you to "proof" your yeast before brewing, so that you know your yeast are viable before pitching. The pack swells and you know your yeast are viable. Sometimes during shipping the yeast will be subjected to high temps and maybe kills it, so they want you to proof it before you brew. It seems that the "few days before" recommendation is to cover their a$$. If you wait until brew day and you're mashed in and find that the yeast is dead, you're sort of screwed unless you can get more yeast, and someone would be on the hook for a wasted batch of beer. This seems to be a related to the mail-order side of it, as they seem to assume the worst case, that you have nowhere else to get yeast on brewday if yours are dead.

If I smack the wyeast at all, it's 3-6 hours before pitching. I wouldn't want to do it days ahead of time and let it sit around. Maybe that's fine, maybe not, I don't know. If you have a local shop that stocks that yeast, I'd proof it on brewday. In all liklihood it'll be fine but if not then at least you can run out and get a replacement and not waste your wort. If you have noplace nearby to get a replacement, it might be best to take their advice and proof before you mash in.

As others have said, you may need a starter anyway based on your volume and OG in which case you'll know days ahead anyway when you get your starter going.

Thanks for the response. So, if I do smack the yeast 3 days prior, should I let it sit at room temp until time to pitch it?

IMO you should make a starter as suggested. This should be done at least a few days before brewing.

So, I received the Rebel Rye Porter kit today and as I thought, a package of Safale S-04 was included. It says just sprinkle it in (no rehydration). Should I just go with this pkg of dry yeast or buy some Wyeast #1028? BeerSmith2 says I should pitch 2 pkgs. What do you guys think? 2 dry, 2 smack packs, 1 smack pack and a yeast starter? Anyone know what the cell count is for Safale S-04?

So, I received the Rebel Rye Porter kit today and as I thought, a package of Safale S-04 was included. It says just sprinkle it in (no rehydration). Should I just go with this pkg of dry yeast or buy some Wyeast #1028? BeerSmith2 says I should pitch 2 pkgs. What do you guys think? 2 dry, 2 smack packs, 1 smack pack and a yeast starter? Anyone know what the cell count is for Safale S-04?

In your case, just use the S-04 dry yeast. You'll need about 12 grams of dry yeast to support a 1.065 beer, and each packet is 11 grams. You'll be under-pitching, but not by nearly as much as if you had just smacked a pack and went for it.

I wouldn't worry too much about a slight underpitch on S04. It's a very hardy yeast and will tear through a beer like it's pissed off. I used some slurry off a 5% porter in a 11% barleywine and it reached FG after about three days. It took the barleywine down like it was nothing, except I did have a bit of blowoff.